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"But does that ability even work on spirits?"
The girls looked at him curiously.
"It does. I already tested it with her before we signed a contract, and it worked. Now the effect should be even stronger."
Rosen nodded.
So far, every follower he had gained was outstanding in terms of talent and potential.
…Though honestly, he had to take that back.
They were all girls from slice-of-life series, yet the powers they awakened were ridiculously over the top.
Not long after, Megumi Kato came out of the bathroom, freshly washed and back in her school uniform. She took the paper from Rosen's hand and read it carefully.
"My 'lack of presence' ended up becoming one of my skills… I can't tell if I should be happy or depressed."
Didn't that basically confirm her existence was fragile to the point of invisibility?
"Well, at least now you can adjust it yourself. If you turn it off, your presence shoots up instantly," Rosen teased.
"How high are we talking?"
"Three or four floors tall… okay, kidding. More like—you'd be the most eye-catching person in the crowd."
He remembered how in the original story, Megumi's "plainness" wasn't really that plain at all. Later on, with just a little makeover, she could easily stand among the top-tier beauties.
It reminded Rosen of the difference between Superman with glasses and without.
In a slice-of-life series, it was fine. But here, in this fused world, it was an abnormality in itself—being too normal.
She had a cute face and a nice figure, yet somehow every trait was stamped with the word ordinary.
"…I think I'll pass. I'm used to living this way."
Megumi really had no interest in standing out.
"I still think you'd look way better with a little makeover," Rosen said.
"Makeover…?"
She filed that comment away in her heart.
Normally, she never cared what people said, but since Rosen himself said it… maybe it was worth trying?
A girl dresses up for the one she wants to please.
That thought had quietly taken root in Megumi's mind.
But before she could mull it over too much, the other girls spoke up.
"Let's give Megumi a full makeover together!"
Hana Yurikawa was the first to raise her hand.
Miko Yotsuya immediately chimed in, "Kato's got such a good foundation. It'd be such a waste not to show it off."
Miko herself had been too busy dealing with spirits to worry about looks, which left her an outsider in class. But after becoming Rosen's follower and gaining strength, she no longer had to live in fear. She'd even started dressing up a little and, alongside Hana, had become one of the girls people actually noticed in class.
"Good thing I brought some makeup. Let's try it right now," Yuki Suou added, signaling Ayano Kimijima to fetch an expensive set.
Megumi was dragged to the vanity and seated against her will.
But when Hana and Yuki leaned closer and saw her flawless, poreless skin, both of them realized the makeup was practically useless.
"…Guess we'll have to rely on styling instead!" Yuki decided.
And so, the three of them fussed over Megumi through the entire lunch break.
The result? Surprisingly good.
They swapped out her standard uniform for a loose knit cardigan layered over a simple dress. The hem swayed gently as she walked, like soft clouds wrapping around her. A light tan beret sat atop her head, the brim's shadow making her delicate features look even more refined.
"Well, Rosen-sama, what do you think?!"
The three of them presented their work like proud artists.
"Not bad. Definitely better than before," Rosen said.
Megumi's face stayed blank as always, but Rosen caught the brief flicker of joy in her eyes.
Still, before they went back to class, she insisted on changing into her uniform again. The others couldn't argue, so they let her.
Back in class, Rosen spent the afternoon zoning out as usual.
Then after school, Miko and Hana rushed over first thing.
The four girls had already agreed to use their after-school time for hunting spirits to level up. It also gave the three "veterans" a chance to guide Megumi, the complete newbie.
"Veterans, huh… I only became Rosen-sama's follower last weekend," Yuki Suou said with a wry smile.
In just a few days, she'd gone from rookie to senior.
"Anyway, Ayano, you should head home and rest for now. What we're about to do isn't something you can help with."
"I'll go back by myself tonight."
At Yuki's words, Ayano nodded, shouldered her bag, and left the school.
Miko watched her figure disappear down the hall, frowning. "Isn't that kind of… cruel?"
Yuki's expression softened. "I don't like it either. But what we're doing is dangerous. Dragging Ayano in while she's still just an ordinary human would only put her in more danger. And besides…"
She looked in the direction Ayano had gone.
She and Ayano had grown up together. Pretending there were no feelings there was impossible.
Her eyes turned toward Rosen, full of unspoken hope. She wanted to ask—but the words caught in her throat.
Not that she could hide it.
As a god, Rosen could sense their emotions clearly—not reading their minds, exactly, but he could feel the shifts in their hearts.
"You want me to make Ayano my follower too, don't you?" Rosen asked with a smile.
"Can you?" Yuki asked softly, her eyes shining.
She wasn't even surprised that he knew.
But Rosen didn't answer right away.
So far, the Tree of Life within him hadn't shown any strong reaction to Ayano, which meant she wasn't qualified—at least not yet.
Still, if she lacked the innate traits, there were always ways to make up for it.
"…Then let's try to change her. Push her to grow a little."
"That's enough?" Yuki tilted her head, thoughtful.
If all Ayano needed was to change herself… well, that sounded like something she could help with.
"..."
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